Long considered Ukraine’s most promising young fashion designer, Anton Belinskiy now jokes he cannot afford his own clothing as he prepares to present a collection at Paris Fashion Week. The 31-year-old comes from a young generation of creatives in the ex-Soviet country which has been locked since 2014 in a bloody conflict with pro-Russian separatists and struggling through economic hardship and entrenched corruption. His creations often reflect Ukraine’s harsh realities-incorporating everything from the national yellow and blue colours and Ukraine’s passport cover to the currency symbol flickering in the exchange booths of Kiev.
Sporting shabby sneakers and military fatigues as he meets AFP in the historical neighborhood of Ukraine’s capital shortly before his departure to Paris, Belinskiy says his designs are a reflection of the city. “I’m trying to make Kiev sound better than other cities, and to show the best we have to everyone who does not know this,” Belinskiy says. His career has taken off since he became a semifinalist in 2015 for the LVMH Prize, a sought-after accolade for young designers-the first Eastern European to be so honored by the luxury goods group. Since then, Vogue has described Belinskiy as “one of the brightest talents in Kiev”, and in Paris his designs will share the catwalk with such legendary brands as Chanel, Miu Miu, and Louis Vuitton.
